


A Once Peaceful Planet

by Mandy_Meouch9019



Category: TWRP | Tupper Ware Remix Party (Band)
Genre: Canada, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Loneliness, No Smut, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Orphans, Other, Outer Space, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spaceships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-07-29 15:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16266920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandy_Meouch9019/pseuds/Mandy_Meouch9019
Summary: The alien/humanoids of TWRP are having a cozy winter indoors after a long tour, when a sound is heard in the distance that's sounds all too familiar to them... a spaceship crash. When two leave to investigate, they find a young humanoid Leonian female wounded and passed out in a snowdrift. When they bring her inside and she is able to speak, they (especially Commander Meouch) wonder what made her so afraid of a once peaceful planet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story based off of a TWRPsona I created... hope you enjoy this story.

A Once Peaceful Planet

Chapter One: 

Toronto, Canada  
7:51 p.m.  
December 11, 20--

Havve Hogan carefully set another log onto the burning cinders of the fireplace, watching it intently as sparks ingited the bark, causing it to crackle and flame. Commander Meouch was curled up in an arm chair reading a magazine, and Lord Phobos nursed a cup of herbal tea on the couch as he watched Dr. Sung playing with Rufus, tossing his favorite squeaky toy for him to catch and return back to him. The living room the four humanoids and their canine companion were in was very quiet; the only sounds that were heard was the snap of the logs starting to burn and the squeaks and occasional bark that came from Rufus. But they didn't mind, after a long tour with all the natural cacophony of performing live they enjoyed the silence.

After a few moments Meouch gave a stretch and, setting the magazine down on the coffee table, gets up from the armchair and slowly makes his way to the window. Carefully moving the curtain aside with one hand, he looks out on the snowy landscape, saying, "The snow still hasn't stopped yet... and it's starting to come down heavier then it did an hour ago. Do you think we'll get some thunder again like last night?" 

Phobos shrugs, taking a small sip of his tea. Setting the cup down, he signs "I hope so, I like sleeping during thunderstorms... they are very soothing." 

Dr. Sung smiles at Phobos, waves the squeaky toy with his hand and Rufus comes running once again. "I know you do, Phobos," he replied, giggling at Rufus licking his face before he tosses the toy into the kitchen. "But I know Rufus doesn't have the same mentality that you do on storms." 

Havve gets up from his spot in front of the fireplace, and makes his way to the window. "Rufus should be alright, Dr. Sung." he responds, his telepathic link reaches out to him, calculated but comforting. "Besides, I know you recently purchased a weighted canine vest for him when storms should arrive in our atmosphere. Should anything happen, we are more then-" Their link soon stopped short when a distant sound resonated through the nearby woods: a metallic crashing sound combined with the splintering of trees, before hitting the ground with a thud. 

Rufus's squeaky toy dropped to the floor as he barked at the sudden sound. Havve and Sung were perplexed by what that noise came from, but Phobos had an unsettling feeling of deja vu on what it was. 

Meouch leaned closer and tried to focus his gaze on what could be in the distance but the snowfall was too thick to see a thing. "I wonder what the hell that was?" He questioned, heading back to the armchair. 

"It sounded familiar to an aircraft," Havve mused looking out at the darkening sky. "But I highly doubt that a airplane pilot would fly in this." 

Dr. Sung looks over at Lord Phobos, and notices him trembling slightly as he held the powder blue teacup in his right hand. "What's wrong, Phobos?"

Lord Phobos sat silently for a moment, before setting the teacup down and going to the window, Havve giving him some space, sensing his distress. His sharp eyes gave him some range of distance looking out at the woods, but he couldn't make it as far as he usually was able too. "Didn't that sound seem... familiar to any of you?" His still trembling hands formed the words he sought to express. 

The three contemplated for a while, Meouch breaking the silence. "A little bit, yeah... it's kinda similar to what I heard when we-" he stopped midsentence, his icy blue-gray eyes widened at the thought that signaled in his brain. "You don't honestly think another spaceship has crash-landed on Earth, Phobos?"

"I'm not sure what else it could possibly be..." he signed, before reaching for his tea cup, it shaking slightly as he drew it to his thin lips to take a final sip. 

"It could be a fallen weather balloon," Dr. Sung suggests, trying to assuage Lord Phobos's fears. "That has happened in other places... could you see what it was, Phobos?" 

"No... it was too far away for me to see. " Phobos signs, still worried. He brushes his medium length ebony hair out of his face and glanced out of the window again, not getting up from the chair. "We should go out and look, just in case... I'd hate to think of it being someone in danger, badly hurt or worse..." he wraps his slender arms around himself, concern painted his expression and clouded his gray-green eyes. 

Dr. Sung frowned, blinking his single pale blue eye as he glanced at each of his bandmates. "No fucking way am I going out in the snow." Meouch grumbled under his breath as he flipped past a couple pages. Havve seemed a little wary about his circuitry being out in that kind of climate, but conceded by standing up and making his way to the closet to withdraw a heavy black winter coat. Going to the closet for a coat of his own, he glanced at Phobos, seeing the look of trauma that he wore all those years ago when they crash landed on Earth; he had gotten some bad injuries from their land and needed a lot of physical and mental therapy to at least be stable, and he still suffered a kind of post traumatic stress when it came to being in a spaceship again. Making his way back to the couch, Sung rested a calming hand on Phobos's shoulder. "You can stay here and keep Rufus company... Havve and I will go out and investigate what went on outside." 

Lord Phobos looked up at Dr. Sung, a small smile appearing as he signaled to Rufus to join him on the couch, lightly patting him as Sung pulled on the coat and his pylon, and making sure they were both secure, he and Havve went out into the cold, dark night.


	2. Chapter 2

After fighting with the straps for half an hour Earth time, she managed to release herself from the safety harness. Desperate to get some form of barings, she tapped on her communicator to pull up her location on the global positioning system."Gods damn it," she growled in pain and frustration. "I'm still ten kilometers away from where they are." She ran a shaking hand through her mane to see if she was bleeding (her head hurt enough it wouldn't have surprised her) but her hand came back clean, thankfully. Looking around, all she could see was trees, the night sky and medium sized white flakes falling all around. The air that came through the cracked canopy was bitter cold so she fought to retrieve the satchel that Fern had given her before she commandeered this ship to find warm clothing. 

A hiss escaped from her clenched jaw as a sharp ache went through her entire left leg: tears ran down her face as she wrenched the bag free and set it on her lap. Rifling through it, she withdrew a woolen cloak and fingerless gloves and finally a thick scarf and she pulled them on over her attire. When she went to unlatch the canopy it wouldn't budge. "This can't be happening right now." She said under her breath as she struggled with the latch. But all of a sudden a loud rumbling shook her to the core... could they have found out so soon? No time to lose, she used her good leg to break a larger hole in the canopy to reach and unlock it from the outside. A sudden pain overtook the underside of her arm, but she didn't want to get captured so she grabbed the satchel and leaped out to the best of her ability. Limping through the cold white ground covering as quick as she could, she struggled to steady her location on her global positioning system to find the rest of her way on foot, but the feeling of warm dampness running down her arm and the low temperature caused her sight to go blurry and her energy levels to drop immensely. The last thing she remembered was seeing the Earth's moon shining down through the trees before she collapsed.


	3. Chapter 3

Havve Hogan and Dr. Sung continued their way through the cold and snowy woods, looking around for whatever made that frightening sound. 'I'm hoping it was just a weather balloon.' Sung nervously rethought, trying to make conversation with his compatriot, but Havve's red laser eyes swept back and forth across the wooded expanse, hyper focused on the task at hand. But all of a sudden Havve stopped walking, a gloved hand reaching out to stop the doctor.

'You sensed something?' Sung reached out to him, but only silence came from the robotic humanoid as he soon bolted through the forest. Sung had no trouble keeping up with his speed, but he was somewhat winded when they stopped once more, finding the answer and what he feared: the clearly crumpled remains of a spaceship. Havve started walking east as Sung made his way to the ship. Raising his visor, he examined the wreckage finding a hidden bundle under the cockpit's seat. He went to unwrap it, but a voice reached out to him. 'Come here, Dr. Sung... We need you.'

'We?' He thought, a sense of panic surged in his mind as he lowered the visor and rushed to where Havve was located, the wrapped bundle tucked under his left arm. Havve was standing by a clearing, holding someone in his arms, and as he timidly brushed the hair away so he could see their face, Dr. Sung paused stunned at the sight that unfolded before them. Patches of damp short amber colored fur covered sections of their face and the shape of the closed eyes were uncanny but the rest of their features were humanlike in quality. 'Havve... do you think this is-?' He started. 'Yes, Doctor... a Leonian humanoid hybrid. The first of their kind.' Havve paused as they made their way back to the house. 'And the only other Leonian that has found their way to Earth besides Commander Meouch.'


	4. Chapter 4

'Do you think we should tell Meouch about who we found?' Sung voiced his concern as they got closer to their residence. 

'He'll find out soon enough...' Havve replied matter-of-factly as he opened the door for them all to enter. Lord Phobos stood up when they got inside, eyes widened at the sight of the person in Havve's arms. Rufus raised his head, tilting it to the side at the sight of a stranger. Commander Meouch was the first to speak. 

"Well, Phobos... your guess was accurate. Are they alright?" He stood up and went to get closer to them, but Dr. Sung stopped him. 

"They have some hypothermia and a few minor injuries, but yes... they are still alive." Dr. Sung set the bundle down on an endtable and turned towards Phobos and Meouch. "Meouch, I need to tell you... there's something about our survivor you should know." 

Rufus hopped off the couch, padded over to where Havve was standing and sniffed the foot of the stranger, melting snow dripping off their shoe. A faint moan was heard as their head raised up slightly from Havve's mechanical shoulder, and Meouch became rendered speechless. Lord Phobos got up from the sofa so Havve could set the survivor down in his original spot, taking the blanket from the back of it. Dr. Sung quickly retreats to the kitchen to get the first aid kit then back to the living room, Rufus following close at his heels but stopping when Havve patted his metallic leg and obediently goes to his side. 

"Yes... our crash survivor appears to be a Leonian humanoid hybrid," Dr. Sung recounts as he carefully attempts to remove the cloak-like item from them, pausing only momentarily when he sees blood soaked into their shirt sleeve.

"The first of their kind, possibly... it's been a while since you've set foot on your home planet, so population may have changed some." When he finally removes their cloak, the four notice the survivor's attire almost resembles what the former resident of Treeman's Gift wears onstage during their concerts down to a similar, albeit tattered loincloth. When Sung put on a pair of latex gloves, he picked up a small pair of scissors from the kit and started to carefully cut the sleeve away to look at the puncture wound, a weak yet feminine sounding voice emerged from the survivor. 

"Can... can my shirt be salvaged?" Their closed eyes moved slightly, but didn't open. 

"Unfortunately, no..." Dr. Sung replied, continuing to work with the scissors. "The bloodshed has compromised the fabric, but you have more value to us then this material." He examined the wound, carefully moving their arm to get a better look, a low hiss escaped from the survivor. "I'm sorry, just needed to get a look at the puncture... if it was three inches higher, the femoral artery would have been hit and it would have been highly likely you wouldn't be talking to us tonight." Setting the bloody fabric on the ground beside him, he picked up a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and cotton pads. "Now, this will sting some, but I need to clean the wound before I can bandage it, to prevent any of this planet's bacteria infecting it."

Lord Phobos hugged the blanket tightly against him and looked over at the Commander, seeing his eyes wide and a look of stunned awe in his expression. Occasionally he would hear Meouch express a vague, pretending to be uninterested, but meaningful want to know what his home planet has become after all these years, and seeing this individual in their midst is almost like the call of the Universe reaching out a kind hand to him.

Sung carefully moved the survivor to face forward so he can have easy access to the wound, as their eyes slowly opened. They were a little hazy from the blood loss, but squinted as she gazed on his face and pylon helmet, but widened suddenly at the sight of Meouch standing by the fireplace. Before he could realize it, the survivor bolted to the door, and struggled to open it, the door being locked. "Please..." he said, maintaining a calm voice and tone, standing up and taking a few slow steps toward them. "We are not going to hurt you... believe me, we were once strangers on this planet, too." 

The survivor turned back to face them, one hand held over their throat, the other outstretched as if to prevent them from getting closer. "Don't hurt me..." the voice came back, and it seemed to be pointed at Commander Meouch. "I-I know I'm not purebred, but spare me at least till my wounds are mended and I can repair my ship. Then I'll leave your presence." 

Commander Meouch stood frozen, the look of suprise changed to one of confusion. "Purebred... what the fuck does that even mean? Listen," he said, trying to stay calm as he took one step closer to the survivor. 

"Please!" They begged, tears welling up in their light brown eyes. "The elders have warned me of your bloodlust." Glancing at Havve, their voice cracks from the fear that surged inside them. "Havve, would you promise to protect me should he attempt to pounce on me? I'm only a female hybrid with a wounded leg and arm." Havve Hogan glances for a moment at Meouch then the woman, and gives her a small nod, taking two seemingly menacing steps toward the Leonian male. 

"Dude... this isn't fucking funny! She thinks I'm about to kill her... wait a minute." Havve pauses in his movement. "The elders... I thought those bastards died off a long time ago." 

"No." She responded grimly, shaking her head. "They have only reflourished on Treeman's Gift, and have frightened many into falling in line... the way they warned me you would tear my throat out before I could utter one syllable." The tears she had held in were set free, causing dark rivulets to form once more on the patches of fur that dotted her face. "They claimed there was no use for a hybrid like me, and the humanoids only used my kind for a play-thing, or worse. So I tried to emulate your likeness and even used part of your name instead of my birth name, hoping it would give me some form of protection. But there is none on our planet now." She lowered her head, the light gleaming on her amber mane as she wept. 

Dr. Sung carefully made his way closer to her and gently set his left hand on her arm. She allowed his touch, and yielded into a timid embrace made by the Doctor. "What is your name, dear one?" He asked, lightly resting his right hand on her mane. She was silent for a few moments, but finally answered. "Mandy Meouch."


	5. Chapter 5

Once Dr. Sung had calmed Mandy enough to bandage her arm and sprained knee and was able to gather some attire that would fit her, he directed her to the first floor restroom so she could change. Once the door closed, he finally burst. 

"Havve, why did you do that shit!" Havve glanced at the hall leading to the bathroom then back at him, and blinked his response in Morse code. "It wasn't funny, asshole! She thought I was gonna tear her throat out." The hurt in his voice stopped Havve from making another jest, surprised by the sudden emotion. 

"It seems like Treeman's Gift has changed immensely since you left." Dr. Sung tried calming the Leonian down. "We should hear her out and try to piece together why she feels this way about you, and this purebred/hybrid construct she has been taught to believe."

"... I can't wrap my mind around it." Meouch grumbled, making his way to the couch where Phobos sat. "Treeman's Gift had always been peaceful: granted there were space pirates and the occasional rebel gangs from other systems found their way to us, but they never got far. And true, I had never seen a humanoid hybrid before when I lived there, but she should have been able to find some kind of safe place." Taking a corner of the blanket Phobos held, he looked at it intently, as if to examine the fibers of it, but soon let it fall. 

Lord Phobos started to sign something, but paused when Mandy made her way back into the living room. The gray sweatshirt and sweatpants the doctor had found for her were slightly snug on her form and she had a slight limp due to the bandaged knee, but she managed her way, arms folded tightly over her chest and sat down a few feet away from the fireplace. She watched the fire a while, her deep brown eyes taking on a similar color to her mane from the flames reflected in them. Lord Phobos picked up the fallen blanket, and held it out to Mandy as an olive branch, of sorts. She took it cautiously, setting it upon her lap. "Thank you, Lord Phobos." she finally responded. 

He smiled and signed a "You're welcome." before patting Rufus on his head and taking his tea cup to the kitchen. 

"So..." Dr. Sung awkwardly started, trying to start some form of conversation with this new Earth-bound individual. "You have heard about us from Treeman's Gift?" 

"Many legends have been whispered about the four of you... fighting something known as boredom on this planet through the power of instrumentation and song. My home planet being the home of one of your core members, these legends were naturally extensive." She turned her head slightly towards Lord Phobos. "I wish to apologize for my kind, albeit late, for the destruction of your home planet." 

Lord Phobos shows a little surprise at the sentimental gesture she expressed, but nods and places a hand over his heart to show his thanks to her. Meouch sighed and shook his head slightly, but Sung's glance stilled him. 

"Your knowledge seems quite extensive, young one..." Dr. Sung responded, as Rufus padded to the loveseat his owner was sitting on, pausing momentarily to glance at the new guest. 

"Is this creature... friendly?"She questioned, her gaze now focused on this new creature. 

"Rufus?" he pats his knee, and Rufus trots over to him, sitting beside him. "He's very friendly. He's a canine or, what most people call them, a dog. A good percentage of humans on this planet keep them as pets or companions." 

She looks at Rufus uncertainty, but returns her gaze back to the fire, starting to lower due to the logs becoming ash. "What does your cub think of Rufus? Do he and Dangus get along?" 

Though some time for healing had gone by, the name of their late companion tinged an old wound in Dr. Sung's heart, as it did the others. "Well, Mandy... Dangus had passed on a while ago." 

Mandy's head lowered for a moment, and silence permeated the room once more. "My apologies, Dr. Sung; I hope you have managed to find some comfort in your grief." 

"Thank you... Could you tell us a little about Treeman's Gift, and about your experience on that planet?" 

"There isn't much to tell, sadly..." Mandy said quietly, situating the blanket over her chest and turning to face the bandmates the fire glowing behind her, a burning nimbus of light. "Whatever planet that Commander Meouch had known, it doesn't exist anymore. I was born after a war: conceived by violence and my mother died bringing me into this world. The nurses who delivered me named me after my late mother and kept me in hospital until I was healthy and then sent me to a facility that housed orphans and other abandoned children. I had a hard time interacting with the others in that establishment, but I did manage to get along with a few of them so that by the time I was to leave, I'd have somewhere to go." 

"When did they make you leave?" Meouch inquired. 

"The owner of the establishment ruled me under Leonian age so I was made to leave at ten months on their age scale... that would be thirteen in human years." 

"Ten months?" Meouch responded in disbelief. "You were still a cub." 

"True, but he didn't have much concern for that issue. My interactions with him was my first taste of the caste system that had taken over this planet. Most of those who were in the establishment, workers and young, didn't regard me with much courtesy, except for the few that I befriended. One of them, whose name was Fern, sent me to stay with their family unit until they found work and a place of their own with enough room for myself and two others. I stayed there for close to a year, Earth time." 

Mandy then shivered and feigned a yawn. "I am starting to feel slightly fatigued, Doctor... I should probably get some rest." She attempted to stand on her own, but Phobos stood up and made his way to her side to give her a helping hand. "I'm sure this will provide enough comfort for a decent slumber." She gestured to the couch where Meouch was sitting. 

"No... a couch isn't very comfortable for that sort of thing." Dr. Sung acknowledged, thinking quickly. There is a spare bedroom across from Lord Phobos's. You can sleep there." 

"Thank you, Doctor Sung." Mandy quietly murmured after a moment of silence. "You are very kind." Phobos quietly gestured to her, and the two walked to where her lodgings would be. 

'This child has a lot on her mind.' Havve stated once she was out of sight. 

"Yes; there is a lot that she has probably been through in her years: but we must help her understand that can put her trust in us. All of us." He calmly asserted, glancing at Commander Meouch. 

"Dude... I'll do my part. I just hope that she can lose whatever this deep-rooted fear of me has been imprinted on her psyche." 

"It will take time, Commander... let's turn in for the evening. We have a long day ahead of us." Meouch and Havve part company to their separate lodgings and Dr. Sung makes his way to the spare bedroom, Rufus following closely behind. He pauses by the doorway, to see Lord Phobos carefully adjusting a spare pillow underneath Mandy's bandaged knee before moving the blankets to cover her. He then gently placed a kiss upon her forehead, then Dr. Sung faintly heard a whisper come from the Lord. What he said to her he couldn't tell, but MandyMeouch quietly nodded and closed her eyes, attempting to go to sleep. The Doctor walked away quickly before he could be spotted and went to his room where he could get some sleep: Rufus taking his spot upon the dark blue dog bed placed at the foot of the bed frame. 

'These next few days will probably feel like they have been prolonged,' Doctor Sung pondered, taking the Pylonian helmet from his head, setting it delicately on the endtable. Running a hand over his short, almost white hair, he knew it would be hard for the others to remember what it was like all those years ago when they first landed on this humble planet. But he knew they would give it their best to help her find comfort and some kind of peace that she has not experienced before. Adjusting the weighted navy comforter, he slipped under the covers and felt himself drift off to a soothing state of slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

When Dr. Sung was awake, dressed and made his way to the kitchen, Havve was the only other individual that was awake at this hour. Lord Phobos normally got up around nine thirty a.m. and Meouch usually slept until noon, so he wondered whether their new guest would be the same in her sleeping schedule. 

'How do you think Mandy will react to the dietary plan you will most likely try implementing?' Havve questioned, adding three level scoops of coffee grounds to the white coffeemaker that sat on the kitchen counter. 

"Hopefully it'll be better then what the Commander's initial reaction was." The Doctor replied, remembering the epic bout of fisticuffs that occurred all those years ago. Rufus scampered to the kitchen ready and eager for his morning walk. "Alright, Gooby, just let me get some breakfast and we'll go for a walk." 

Taking a bottle of Cafe Chai Soylent from the fridge, he got Rufus's leash from on top of the refrigerator, and hooked it onto Rufus's collar. "We should only be out for twenty minutes, so we should be back before the others wake up." Putting on his heavy gray coat, he went to leave but paused noticing the bundle on the endtable. "Havve, could you set the bundle I had found in that spaceship in Mandy's room?"

Havve nodded in silent agreement, and the Doctor and his canine headed out into the crisp morning air.

Pulling up his hood so any passerby wouldn't notice his face, they take their usual route through the woods, past the destroyed ship his cloaking device will keep hidden until he and the others collect any functional parts they can use for their ship and scrap the rest later this month. The sound of the snow crunching beneath his boots made him look forward to heading back to Los Angeles next year: a way for him and the band to work on new music, be closer to their friends in Ninja Sex Party and... 'Shit, he remembered, 'what are we going to do with Mandy?' 

Adjusting to Earth, its habitat and proclivities takes quite a bit of time, and he didn't want to leave her alone after a few weeks of adjustment. But Justin will be coming over later tonight, so maybe he can work his magic the way he did with them when they first came to this planet. After they went their usual distance into the woods, they turned around and went back to their home, the stillness of the environment easing the worries that plagued the Doctor's mind. 

Unhooking Rufus's leash in the doorway, he went to take his coat off and took the empty bottle of Soylent to the recycling bin to find Havve and Phobos sitting at the table, looking concerned. "What's the matter?" 

'I took the bundle to her room as you requested,' Havve started, 'but when I went to open the door, it was locked. Not wanting to invade her privacy, I knocked twice and set it down by the door. When I walked away, I heard the door open and close, so I guessed she retrieved it. But when Phobos went to check on her the door was still locked and he heard crying coming from inside... she won't let either of us in."

Dr. Sung glanced towards the hallway and frowned; being so far from one's home planet can bring feelings of sadness or a lingering depression that may last for a while. He made his way towards her room, Rufus following close behind. 

"Mandy, are you alright?" He inquired, knocking on the door twice. He could hear some slight movement going on inside, before the door opened quickly, making Rufus jump. 

"Yes... I'm alright, Doctor. Just didn't sleep quite well." She mumbled as she exited the room as quickly as she could move with her bandaged knee. Her eyes were bloodshot and dim from tears and her body language was clearly trying to suppress something. He considered using his telepathic link to read what she was thinking but he didn't want to invade her thoughts without her knowledge, so he merely followed her to the kitchen, Rufus retreating towards the dog bone in the living room. 

Mandy sat in the chair closest to Havve, folding her arms on the table top. The table was silent as Doctor Sung went to the cupboard to look for the container of chicken bouillon cubes. "I'm sorry to hear you didn't sleep well, Mandy... it will take some time to get used to this new environment." The Doctor spoke, hopeful to initiate some conversation. 

"It's alright, Doctor." Mandy replied, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. "Is it normally as loud on your planet in the evenings?"

"No, what you heard last night is something that's called thundersnow. It happens occasionally where we are currently located: it's due to extratropical cyclones within a cold sector." 

She nodded, tugging the right sleeve of Sung's hoodie with her left hand. "I hope everyone else had a restful evening." Havve and Phobos nodded in agreement. "So, what form of sustenance do Earth-kind partake in to break one's fast?"

Doctor Sung swallowed nervously as he poured a two cup measurement of water into a saucepan. "Well... the thing is, your digestive system will take some time to adjust to Earth food, so the best thing is for you to start out with a liquid diet for a month, and we'll go from there." 

Mandy stared at him stunned, before narrowing slightly. "You can't be serious... despite my appearance, I am of Leonian blood. I need something more substantial then liquids." 

"I understand, Mandy," the Doctor sighed as he turned the electronic stove burner and set the pan onto the surface. "But we all went through the same dietary transition when we first landed on this planet: even Commander Meouch. And we all managed to get through it fine."

She looked at him quizzically, but sighed. "If there is no other option, I guess I will have to transition accordingly." She got up from the kitchen chair and carefully walked over to the stove. "Is this a traditional Earth cooking surface?" 

"Yes: most Earthkind use a gas or electric stove for cooking. I prefer electric, but everyone has their own preference."

She watched him unwrap two bullion cubes and add them to the simmering water. "What substance is that?" 

"It's called boullion: it's a condensed form of either chicken or beef broth that's in either these cubes or granules." Dr. Sung answered, the joy of remembering what it was like teaching his bandmates the ways of this planet.

"Fascinating... so it's shipped as a solid and dissolves or melts into a liquid." 

"It dissolves, yes." Dr. Sung replied, stirring the now boiling water as the bouillon cubes began to shrink. Lowering the heat, steam began to rise from the surface, and Mandy looked at it, perplexed, then looked up at him. 

"So... this is reminiscent of how clouds work here? Water particles become hot and evaporate skyward forming clouds: and when they are dense, they cause precipitation." 

"Exactly. You're very intellectual, young one." Dr. Sung smiled. 

"I haven't seen many clouds on Treeman's Gift: or even rain... there's not many forests anymore. It's mostly industrialized." 

"Wow... that's quite surprising." Dr. Sung responded, turning the burner off. "The commander had always told us about the vast forests that filled his home planet." He made his way to the cupboard and looked for a mug, retrieving a blue one to put the broth into and proceeded to hunt for a spoon. 

"It would have been interesting to have seen them, but there weren't many forests on the planet I experienced... speaking of, where is the Commander?" 

"He's still asleep at the moment..." Doctor Sung handed the mug to Mandy and she cautiously made her way to the table, sitting next to Havve. 

"Does Havve use a form of Morse code for communication? I would like to learn how that works so I can be able to understand him." 

"It takes some time, but I'm sure he'll be willing to help you." The Doctor glanced at Havve, and he nodded once in silent agreement. 

Lord Phobos looked slightly askance at MandyMeouch, but she quickly added, "Of course, I'll also learn how to communicate with you as well, Phobos... especially since I know you are not one to use verbalizing." 

He smiled and signed 'Thank you,' and went to the stove to fill the copper colored tea kettle with some water from the sink. Setting it on the stove, he turned the dial so it would start to heat. 

Stirring the hot broth with a spoon she intently watched the thin wisps of steam rise from the cup into the air, then took a small sip. "The sodium level of this liquid sustenance is somewhat high." 

"It can be... next time I go to the store, I'll try to find a low sodium version for you." 

"Thank you, Doctor... but I will get used to it. I don't want you to make any changes to your normal routine just because of me." 

"It's no trouble: I'm sure your friend did the same for you when you stayed with them." 

Her eyes took on a look of fear, but she merely responded with a "Certainly." and took another sip of the bouillon. He knew then he'd have to sit and talk to her about what had happened after a few days, until she is more comfortable in this place and with him as well as the others.


End file.
